Lightning Fill In The Blank

Now it is time to move on to our final game, Lightning Fill In The Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which they can answer as many fill in the blank questions as he or she can. Each correct answer is now worth two points. Carl, can you give us the scores?

CARL KASELL: Alonzo Bodden has the lead, Peter. He has four points, Faith Salie has two, Charlie Pierce has two.

SAGAL: We flipped a coin. Faith has elected to go first, so you're up first then, Faith. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. This week Vladimir Putin warned NSA leaker Edward Snowden not to damage relations between the U.S. and blank.

Russia.

Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: In a speech Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman blank said the biggest threat to the economy is Congress.

FAITH SALIE: Bernanke.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: In honor of his thousand points of light initiative, President Obama hosted an event for blank at the White House this week.

SALIE: George H.W. Bush.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Best known for his role in the hit TV show blank, actor Cory Monteith died last weekend in Canada.

SALIE: "Glee."

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: A town in Colorado is considering issuing licenses to allow residents to hunt blanks.

SALIE: Drones.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Scuffles and minor injuries were reported as blanks returned to store shelves for the first time in months.

ALONZO BODDEN: Twinkies.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Because of the opposition to childhood vaccines, the hiring of Jenny McCarthy on the show blank caused some controversy this week.

SALIE: "The View."

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: A Missouri magician was told he could not perform unless he had a government-approved blank.

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SALIE: Rabbit.

SAGAL: Close.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: He needed a government-approved rabbit disaster plan in order...

(LAUGHTER)

SALIE: Oh, so close.

SAGAL: In order to use Casey the rabbit in his magic shows, Marty the Magician was told he had to have an approved, quote, "Rabbit Disaster Plan" in case his grand finale was interrupted by fire, flood, tornado, ice storm or stew.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Carl, how did Faith do on our quiz? Pretty well, I think.

KASELL: She did seven correct answers, 14 more points. She now has sixteen points and the lead.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Well done. OK, Charlie. You are up next. Fill in the blank. After the Queen gave her approval, Britain legalized blank on Wednesday.

CHARLIE PIERCE: Marriage equality.

SAGAL: Yes, gay marriage.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Weapons and equipment were found hidden in a shipment of brown sugar being sent from Cuba to blank this week.

PIERCE: Syria.

SAGAL: No, North Korea. After coming to a bipartisan agreement this week, the Senate preserved its ability to blank and confirmed multiple presidential appointees.

PIERCE: And confirmed its ability to do its job - no filibuster.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: The chairman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress Thursday that the U.S. is deliberating whether to use military power in the civil war in blank.

PIERCE: Syria.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: After finding holes in the metal above the wheel well of their SUV, a family in Florida discovered that the damage was caused by blank.

PIERCE: A very large snake.

SAGAL: No. A squirrel eating their car. The lawyer for the man accused of kidnapping three women in blank said he is hoping to a plea deal.

PIERCE: Cleveland.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: A Florida fugitive was tracked down and arrested after he blanked.

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

(LAUGHTER)

PIERCE: Voted on the Zimmerman jury.

SAGAL: No. He was tracked down and arrested after he posted a comment under his own wanted poster on Facebook.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: So this guy named Matt Oliver saw his picture on the Pasco County Sheriff's Facebook page. He posted a number of comments about, among other things, his alibi, and how dumb the people in the sheriff's office were. It all would have been fine, though, if he hadn't clicked yes when the Sheriff sent him a prisoner request.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Carl, how did Charlie do in our quiz?

PIERCE: Horrible.

KASELL: Charlie had four correct answers for eight more points. He now has 10 points, but Faith still has the lead with 16.

SAGAL: All righty then. So...

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: ...how many then does Alonzo Bodden need to win?

KASELL: Uh...

(LAUGHTER)

KASELL: ...six correct answers...

SAGAL: Six correct answers.

KASELL: ...for a tie.

SAGAL: Ready for this, Alonzo? Here we go. This is for the game.

BODDEN: All right.

SAGAL: Fill in the blank. Sales skyrocketed after it was revealed that the Robert Galbraith book "The Cuckoo's Calling" was actually written by blank.

BODDEN: J.K. Rowling.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Police in Boston are investigating the death of a man who was scheduled to testify in mobster blank's trial.

BODDEN: Oh, man. Next question.

SAGAL: Whitey Bulger was the answer. An Alaska man...

BODDEN: How'd I not know Whitey?

SAGAL: I don't know.

(LAUGHTER)

BODDEN: I'm slipping.

SAGAL: An Alaska man who reported his neighbor had assaulted him was arrested after police discovered he had blanked.

BODDEN: Assaulted himself?

SAGAL: Yes, he punched himself in the face.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Children in South Africa gathered to sing Happy Birthday to blank in honor of his 95th birthday.

BODDEN: Nelson Mandela.

SAGAL: Yes, indeed.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Thursday, a shareholder vote to decide whether to take computer company blank private was delayed for another week.

BODDEN: Microsoft?

SAGAL: Dell. A Pennsylvania couple on the way to a Dave Matthews concert stopped to give a ride to a stranded blank.

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

BODDEN: Dave Matthews.

SAGAL: Yes, indeed.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Emily Kraus and her boyfriend picked up a stranded cyclist on their way to the Dave Matthews concert. It was only when he was in the car they realized the hitchhiker was the concert. Kraus was just grateful she didn't Crash Into Him.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Carl, did Alonzo do well enough to win?

KASELL: He came up short. He had five correct answers for 10 more points, giving him 14 points. So at 16 points, Faith Salie is this week's champion.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Well done, Faith.

SALIE: Thanks.

SAGAL: In just a minute, now that the pope is offering a fast track to heaven, we'll ask our panelists to predict the way someone will entice us to follow them on Twitter, outdo the Pope. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.